Clothes-clamp.



No. 773,449. PATENTBD 00T. 25, 1904. A. ANDERSON.

CLOTHES CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3, 1904.

'No MODEL.

im Il IlNrTnn STATES Patented october 25, 1 904. y

ALFRED ANDERSON, OF DETROIT CITY, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF THREE- FOURTHS TO ASAHEL G. VVEDGE, HALVOR RASMUSSON, AND PETER K. HASLERUD, OF DETROIT CITY, MINNESOTA.

CLOTHES-CLAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 773,449, dated October 25, 1904.

Application filed March 3, 1904. Serial No. 196,340. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that L'ALFRED ANDERsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit City, in the county of Becker and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention embodies a novel construction of clothes-clamping device for securing clothes to clothes-lines. In its preferred construction the invention comprises in a single article means for attaching the clamp device to the clothes-line, so that the same may be permanently secured thereto, and clamping means carried by the supporting means above mentioned for engaging the clothes to be hung upon the line.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following' description and drawings hereto attached.

IVhile the essential and characteristic features of the invention are susceptible of modification, still the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which* Figure I is a perspective view showing the clamp device in applied position. Fig. 2 isa perspective view of the clamp device alone, bringing out more clearly the relative arrangement of the structural parts thereof. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the invention. Fig. 4 is a front elevation.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

In order that the invention may be constructed as simply as practicable, so as to involve a minimum cost in its manufacture, the same is preferably formed from spring-wire of suitable gage to lend the necessary strength and rigidity.

In accordance-with the foregoing a single length of wire is bent about intermediate its ends to form a supporting loop or member l.

being formed into the shank 2 is next downwardly bent to form the spring clamp members 3, which members have their lower end portions outwardly flared, as shown at 4, and their intermediate portions bulged or outwardly deflected, as at 5. The flared portions of the spring members 3 facilitate the engagement of the said members with the clothes and the securance of the clothes to the line by clamping action of the said members. The outwardly bulged or deflected portions 5 of the clamp members 3 form what may be styled as a seat within which to receive the line and clamp portions of the clothes when the device is in use. From the clamp members 3 the wire from which the attachment is made is extended upwardly some distance above the shank 2 and downwardly bent to provide spaced finger-pieces 6. The finger-pieces 6 diverge somewhat from each other toward their upper ends, and compression of the said nger-pieces is adapted to separate the clamp members 3 either to disengage the same from clamping an article or to permit of engag'ement, as will be readily noted. The adjacent portions of the clamp members 3 just above the deflected or bulged portions 5 thereof are disposed in contact with each other, so as to provide a fulcrum, whereby a leverage may be obtained in the operation of the fingerpieces to separate the spring members 3.

Due to the peculiar formation of the spring members and the manner of bending the wire it will be seen that each of these members comprises spaced elements 7 and one extremity of the wire, after same has been bent to form one of the finger-pieces 6, is projected laterallyinto the space between the elements 7 of the clamp members 3 at a point above the deiiected portions 5. The laterally-projected portion of the extremity of the wire aforesaid constitutes a stop 8, which limits the upward movement of an object when same is being introduced between the clamping members 3. The stop 8 being located proximate the bulged or deflected portions 5 and in the relative position above described serves to cause the clamping members to engage an article or part received between the deflected portions 5 thereof. The other extremityT of the wire is bent about the shank 2 of the device and serves as a keeper 9, embracing the elements of the shank to rigidly hold same togethe'r, and thus permit the general substantial arrangement of the parts.

1n practical use it is designed to dispose the attaching device permanently upon theV line, said line being received by the loopsupporting member l, as before remarked. It will be apparent that the device is thus suspended from the line and is always in a convenient position ready to be instantly utilized to clamp clothes or any other object or article which it may be desired to attach to the line. The above operation is accomplished merely by compressing the fingerpieces to spread the clamp members 3, and thus engaging said clamp members 3 with the desired part. 1n having the attaching device permanently secured to the line animportant advantage is derived in that it is not necessary for the one hanging the clothes or the like to have a receptacle full of clamps adjacent and saves the labor and time rcquired in passing toward and 'from the said receptacle.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is A clothes-elamping device comprising a single piece of wire bent about intermediate its ends to form a supporting-loop, said wire being extended laterally from the supporting-loop to form a shank and downwardly projected from the shank and formed into flared spring clamp members, the said clamp members comprising spaced elements of the wire, said wire being extended upwardly from the clamp members and formed into fingerpieces disposed in diverged relation, one of the extremities of the wire being bent to embrace the shank, the other extremity being' projected between the clamp members to form a stop.

ln testimony whereofl I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NILs MIeHELE'r, G. S. Srsni-msox. 

